Device for continuously mixing textile fibres



April 1, 1958 H. SCHWEIZER 2,828,510

DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUSLY MIXING TEXTILE FIBRES Filed Aug. 4. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 UUUUDUU 1 UUUUU PU s JNVENTOR.

may,

ATTUKNEK HANS SCHWELZEIR.

April 1, 1958 H. SCHWEIZER 2,828,510

DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUSLY MIXING TEXTILE FIBRES Filed Aug. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

Fig.5 as 39 3a f a I l H P 23 u 40 l as 39 A 37 INVENTOR. 41 HANSSCHWEIIZEE.

- to be 7 Figs. 1 and 3;

rates DEVICE FUR C(ENTENUOUSLY MG TEXTELE FIBRES Hans Schweizer, Luino, Italy,. assignor to Alrtiengesellschaft Joh, Jacob Rieter & Cie, .Wjnterthur, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland The present invention relates to a device for continuously mixing textile-fibres.

It is customary in spinning mills to assemble all of the raw material necessary for filling an order, for example, a number of cotton bales, material to be admixed such as rayon staples, and left-overs from previous orders such as slivers and flyer slubbings, before the spinning process is started. It is essential that the lengthof staple of all components is substantially the same; all fibres must'be thoroughlymixedbefore and also during the spinning process to produce a yarn of uniform color, strength, and elongation. I It is an object of the presentinvention to provide a means for producing the aforementioned conditions at small cost, by means of simple mechanisms, and with little and unskilled labor. The device according to the invention is suitable for preparing small batches of wellmixed material in uninterrupted operation.

With the apparatus according to the'invcntiom-fibres of the. same type are spread outin layers, whereupon layers of differentfibres are superimposed in horizontal position to form a pile containing fibres ofall components of the mixture; at least two so produced piles are placed on top of one another and separated by swingable plates, whereupon material isremoved continuously from one pile after the other at aslant to the layers.

Further and other objects of the present invention will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specification and claims, and shown in the drawings which, by way of illustration, show what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional front view of a hopper feeder having an extended hopper according tothe invention;

- Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of a bale opener and feed lattice with bales laid out therealong;

Fig. 3 is apart sectional side view of the feeder shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammtic illustration of a counting device used in combination with the feeder shown in r Fig. 5 is a sectional large scale view of a detail of Fig. 3.

Like parts are designated by like numerals in all figures of the drawings.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings, numeral 2 designates a feed lattice alongside of which the material to be fed into a bale opener 1 is placed, fourteen cotton bales B being shown. The material is conducted through conduit. 3 from the bale opener 1 into a dicharge device 4 which throws the material on a conveyor lattice 5. The latter is built into a frame 6, supported by rollers '7 having axles to which lattice drums 8 are connected. Rollers 7 run on rails 9 arranged along the top of the long side walls of a case or hopper-10 Whose cross-section is rectangular. Parts 4 to 10 are illustrated .in Fig. 1.

Frame 6 is rolled back and forth along the top of hop- 7 2,828,510 rar reaa r. 1,1958

slides in aslot 14411; a part 15 vertically projecting from frame 6.

A horizontal lattice conveyor 20 is provided at the bottom of hopper :10. -A; substantially vertical, spiked lattice 2l is sopositioned at the right end of lattice 25), in Fig. 1, that ittakes-over the material brought along by the latter. Lattice 2l is slightly inclined towardthe right in Fig. 1. Casing'22 closes'thedescending part of lattice 21 againstthe outside. A- fluted roller 23 depressesjthematerialbrought up by lattice 21 andclearer 24 removes the material-from the spikes of lattice 21 and intothedischarge duct25. Horizontal, laterally swin ableplates 26 3) divide the hopper ll into two chambers. The platesjfi are portions of angularly bent plates whose vertical portions 27 form the side walls of the hopper 1th Plates 26, 27 depend from horizontal shafts 28 placed along the top of thesides of the hopper. The free ends of arms 29 extending from shafts 28 are connected by-linksfstl with rod 31 of an operating piston 32 (Fig. 5). The latter is in a cylinder 33 having ports 34 and 35* foradrnission and relief of a working fluid. Alongside cylinder 33 is a control cylinderi 36 which communicates with the former through the ports 34 and '35 and contains a valve having two pistons 39 on arod 41. Top and bottom of cylinder 36 have outlets-33 and 37, respectively. A supply conduit 48 is connected with r the middle of cylinder 36 for conducting a pressurefluid into the space 41- between pistons 39. 'Thelower end of rod 41 is'pivoted to the left arm of lever 42 to whose right arm the upper end of rod 43 isp ivo't'ed. The lower end of rod 43 is pivoted to an arm 44 extending;from

, shaft 44f from which depends a regulating flap 45. Arm

the next following tooth gap of the ratchet wheeled,

a stationary abutment 43f preventing excessive movement of the lever 48. After pin 13 has left arm 49, weight 49 pulls lever 48, 49 clockwise. The dimensions of the pawl 47 and of the lever 48, 49 are such that the pawl 47 advances wheel 46 clockwise by one tooth. Pawl 50 locks wheel 46 against counter-clockwise movement. A pin 51 is mounted in a slot in wheel 46 so that its position can be changed. Pin 51 moves with the wheel until it abuts against a plate 52' at one end of a rod 52 whose other end is pivoted to a switch 53. I This switch controls the current for operating a motor 1 driving the bale opener 1 and is opened against spring60.

Operation of the device The operator moves material from bales B onto the lattice 2, the amount corresponding to the amount necessary for producing a layer 0 in hopper 1i). The bale opener ll loosens the fibre mass to clusters which are thrown-by thedischarge device 4 onto the lattice 5. The latter moves back and forth with the frame 6 over the hopper '10 and moves supplementally in thesame direction as frame 6 at. aspeed depending on the size of the wheels on the frame and the diameter of the rollers supporting the lattice 5. The absolute speed. of ---the surface of: the upperrun of latticeS is twice as great as: that of the frame,.:and the material on, the lattice is=thrown port 35 and conduit 37.

over the ends of the lattice, i. e. over the rollers 8 onto the plates 26. Upon movement of frame 6 to the left, half layer III is produced and upon return of the frame half layer IIII is produced. This is repeated until a predetermined number of layers c are placed in the upper part of hopper It The number of layers c is defined by suitable setting of pin 51 on ratchet wheel 46. The

number of teeth by which the latter is advanced until pin 51 abuts plate 52' corresponds to the desired number of layers c. Abutment of pin 51 against plate 52' causes rod 52 to open switch 53 and to stop the motor 1 of the bale opener 1, so that supply of material from the bale opener is interrupted. Thereupon, frame 6 idles back and forth and pawl 47 continues to turn wheel 46, and pin 51, abutting plate 52 moves rod 52 further to the left and increases compression of spring 60. When the spring 60 is so much compressed that further compres sion by the action of the weight 49' through the lever 48, the pawl member 47, the ratchet wheel 46, and the pin 51 is not possible, the pin 13 may lift the weight 49' once more, moving the pawl 47 to the left for engaging a new tooth of the wheel 46. The weight 49', however, will not be able to rotate the wheel 46 and will stay in the elevated position until the flap 45 rises, causing counterclockwise rocking of the pawl 50 and disengagement of the pawl 47 from the ratchet wheel 46 so that the latter can be rotated counterclockwise by the weight 56 and the rope 57. Meanwhile lattice 20 moves the previously deposited stack which is in the lower part of hopper 10 toward the spiked lattice 21 which picks material equally from all layers and moves it upward. As soon as the stack in the lower part of hopper 10 releases flap 45, the latter moves clockwise into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. This causes movement of control piston by the mechanism 44, 43, 42 and rod 41 into the position shown in Fig. 5. The pressure medium in the lower part of cylinder 33 can now escape through If a medium other than air is used, this is returned to pump P. The space 4-1 between pistons 39 affords flow of fluid from conduit 40 and through port 34 into the space above piston 32, forcing the latter down. Rod 31 pulls links 30 and levers 29 down, causing turning of shafts 28 and outward swinging of plates 26, so that the stack in the upper part of the hopper drops onto lattice 20. Regulating flap is there- .by pressed counter-clockwise into the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 3. Rod 41 is thereby pulled down and piston member 39 is moved into a position where port 34 is connected with relief conduit 38, and pressure fluid flows from conduit 40 through port 35 below piston 32 forcing the lattter and rod 31 up. This causes inward movement of plates 26 to form a bottom for the upper part of hopper 10. When plates 26.were moved outward, lever 54 fast on the left rod 28 moved rod 55 linked to the free end of the lever upward, thereby releasing the locking pawl (Figs. 3 and 4) from the ratchet wheel 46 and lifting pawl 47 out of engagement with Wheel 4-6. The latter can now be turned counter-clockwise by a weight 56 which unwinds a tops 57 or the like from the shaft of wheel 46. Counter-clockwise revolving of the wheel continues until pin 51 abuts against a stationary abutment 58. Rod 52, can now be returned by spring 69 to its original position and closes switch 53 for restarting motor 1, whereupon material is again delivered to discharge device 4. Locking pawl 50 resumes its normal position as soon as plates 26 return to closed position.

While I believe the above described embodiment of my invention to be a preferred embodiment, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of design, and construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for continuously mixing different kinds of textile fibres, comprising, in combination, a case having a lower and an upper part, a spiked, substantially upright lattice at one side of said case, a horizontal conveyor lattice disposed at the bottom of said lower part for moving textile fibres in said lower part toward said spiked lattice, angular plate members laterally swingably connected with the upper part of said case, each plate member having a first portion forming a side wall of said upper part and a portion rigidly connected with said first portion and extending at an angle from said first portion inside said case and forming a bottom for the upper part thereof when said plate members are not laterally swung, ind fibre distributing means disposed above said upper part for distributing fibres thereinto.

2. An apparatus for continuously mixing different kinds of textile fibres, comprising, in combination, a case having a lower and an upper part, a spiked substantially upright lattice at one side of said case, a horizontal conveyor lattice disposed at the bottom of said lower part for moving textile fibres in said lower part toward said spiked lattice, plate members individually having an upright portion laterally swingably connected at its top with said case and forming a side wall of said upper part and having a portion extending at an angle from said upright portion inside said case and forming a bottom for the upper part thereof when said plate members are not laterally swung, fibre distributing means disposed above said upper part for distributing fibres thereinto, a cylinder con taining a piston adapted to be moved in said cylinder by a pressure fluid, and connecting means between said piston and saidplate members for swinging same simultaneously upon movement of said piston in said cylinder.

3. An apparatus for continuously mixing different kinds of textile fibres, comprising, in combination, a case having a lower and an upper part, a spiked substantially upright lattice at one side of said case, a horizontal conveyor lattice disposed at the bottom of said lower part for moving textile fibres in said lower part toward said spiked lattice, plate members laterally swingably connected with the upper part of said case, each member having a first portion forming a side wall of said upper part and a portion extending at an angle from said first portion inside said case and forming a bottom for the upper part thereof when said plate members are not laterally swung, fibre distributing means disposed above said upper part for distributing fibres thereinto, said distributing means comprising a frame horizontally rollingly supported on top of said upper part, a conve or lattice built into said frame, means for rolling said frame back and forth and simultaneously moving said built-in lattice in the same direction as said frame for discharging fibres from said lattice over its ends, means disposed above said frame for discharging textile fibres onto said built-in lattice, means supplying fibres to said discharging means, counting means connected with said distributing means for counting the number of reciprocations of said frame, means connected with said counting means and responsive to'a predetermined number of reciprocations of said frame and connected with said fibre supplying means for stopping operation of the latter after a predetermined number of movements of said frame, reversing means associated with said counting means, locking means cooperating with said counting means and actuated by said laterally swirigable plate members for locking said counting mcansagainst the action of' said reversing means when said plate members are not laterally swung and adapted to unlock'said counting means for reversal by said reversing means when said'plate members are laterally swung.

4. An apparatusfor continuously mixing different kinds of textile fibres, comprising, in combination, a case having a lower and an upper part, a spiked substantially upright lattice at one side of said case, a horizontal conveyor lattice disposed at the bottom of said lower part for moving textile fibres in said lower part toward said spiked lattice, plate members individually having an upright portion laterally swingably connected at its top with said case and forming a side wall of said upper part and having a portion extending at an angle from said upright portion inside said case and forming a bottom for the upper part thereof when said plate members are not laterally swung, fibre distributing means disposed above said upper part for distributing fibres thereinto, a cylinder containing a piston adapted to be moved in said cylinder by a pressure fluid, connecting means between said piston and said plate members for swinging same simultaneously upon movement of said piston in said cylinder, a flap member swingably connected with the lower part of said case, means yieldingly holding said flap member in one extreme position when said lower part is partly empty so as to clear said flap member, said flap member being swung against the action of said last mentioned means by the fibres in said lower part when it is full, and control means for the pressure fluid in said cylinder, said control means being connected with said flap member and actuated there by for moving said piston to laterally swing said plate members when said lower part is empty for aifording the material in the upper part to drop into the lower part of the case.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 994,748 Howe June 13, 1911 1,134,163 Schuller Apr. 6, 1915 1,346,828 Kido July 20, 1920 1,573,709 Horman Feb. 16, 1926 1,929,344 Benoit Oct. 3, 1933 2,195,018 Benoit Mar. 26, 1940 2,292,141 Marble Aug. 4, 1942 2,412,506 Greene et al. Dec. 10, 1946 2,662,250 Schweizer Dec. 15, 1953 

